Monday, August 29, 2011

10 Things I Love About my Hands Free Phone

Hands free mobile phones are becoming more common in cars, and offer some big advantages over hand-held devices. Now that I have one in my own vehicle, I can tell you 10 things that I love about having such a device.

1. Safety. Because I can initiate use of my hands free mobile phone with voice control, I am able to keep my eyes on the road. This is a much safer way to drive than fumbling for the cell phone to answer a call, and eliminates scrolling through my contacts list to make a call.
2. 10 O’clock and 2 O’clock. Since I can use the phone without hands, I am able to maintain the traditional safe grip on the steering wheel with both hands. This lets me be prepared for anything that might require quick or violent maneuvers while driving.
3. Fewer Wrong Numbers. Voice activation for calling means that it is less likely I will press the wrong numbers or call the wrong name on my contact list. All I have to do is say “Call Mom” and the right person is called.
4. No Elbow Fatigue. I used to wonder why my right elbow hurt all the time. After a few days with my hands free phone, I understand. I’m no longer driving down the road with my hand to my ear and my elbow cocked in an awkward fashion while talking on the telephone.

Okay, those are all logical reasons to love having a hands free phone, but the rest of the list contains the most important reasons that I love having this new tool.

5. Honking the Horn. Yes, I was able to honk my car horn one-handed. However, now that I can use both hands I really lean into that thing and HONK when a distracted person in front of me waits more than 2 seconds before responding to a green traffic signal.
6. Hand Signals. Now that I have both hands free while talking on the phone, I can use gestures and finger signs to much greater effect. This makes it much easier to point out mistakes of other drivers and allows much more precision in indicating what I think of their actions.
7. Free-Flowing Verbal Communication. I have a tendency to talk with my hands, and have always felt a little bit constricted in using a hand-held phone. Now, I can use my full repertoire of emphasis, including gestures and finger taps, to assist in my verbal conversation. The words just seem to flow a little easier when I have both hands available.
8. Writing Notes. With my hands free mobile phone, I can now make legible handwritten notes during conversations while driving. This makes it much easier to read my notes on exactly what it was I wanted to remember, after a conversation is finished.
9. Map Reading. It is wonderful to be able to use both hands while opening, reading, and refolding a map. I don’t get lost nearly as much as I used to, though I do tend to hit the occasional curb or mailbox. I never did get used to that GPS box on the dashboard; it was always yakking at me and distracting me from my driving.
10. Eating. You would not believe how much better eating while driving is for me now. I can take hold of that sandwich with both hands and really take a good bite! Or, I can hold a burger in one hand and a milkshake in the other, which is a really satisfying experience. Another nice thing about this is that I don’t have so many food stains on my shirts and pants as before.

Now, I should point out that these last 6 reasons that I love my hands free phone are not without a downside. I seem to be a more frequent recipient of dirty looks and hand gestures than used to be the case, and I have a lot more conversations with my insurance agent than I used to have. In addition, the local police department has also taken note of my new device, and stops me more frequently than before, to give me notes requesting my presence for meetings at the court house.

I think they’re just jealous of my new hands free phone.

*Disclaimer: Reasons 5 through 10 are not meant to be taken seriously. Really. Don’t do any of these things yourself. Those party invitations requesting my appearance in court are quite expensive!